en.Wedoany.com Reported - The concession contract for the optimization project of the Brazilian federal highway BR-116, the Régis Bittencourt section, has attracted three companies to submit bids, with the engineering investment portion of the contract amounting to approximately BRL 7.07 billion. The bidding companies are the current operator Arteris, infrastructure company Motiva (formerly CCR Group), and EPR Participações.

Connecting São Paulo and Curitiba, the highway spans approximately 383 kilometers across 16 municipalities, making it one of the most important freight transport corridors between southeastern and southern Brazil. The new contract has a 15-year term, and in addition to the BRL 7.07 billion investment in engineering expansion and modernization, it includes approximately BRL 4.06 billion in operation and maintenance costs. The bidding adopts a simplified auction model, with the lowest toll rate proposal serving as the award criterion. The auction will be held on July 23 at the B3 stock exchange in Brazil.

This bidding process stems from Arteris returning the contract early after negotiations with the government. According to regulations, if a new operator takes over, it must pay approximately BRL 120 million in equity acquisition costs and assume about BRL 1.7 billion in project debt. The new operator must also inject approximately BRL 268.6 million in equity capital, equivalent to 15% of the expected cash flow gap during the construction period. It is reported that Motiva, leveraging its highway operation experience in São Paulo state and its track record of winning the Fernão Dias highway bid, is considered one of the most competitive bidders. A BTG Pactual analysis report indicates that this project is the most important highway auction in Brazil this year, but bids from participants are expected to be relatively cautious.